Doesn't sound surprising to me that the older guys are being cautious and the younger guys think they'll be ok.

I'm still ok with the players having the choice to wear a visor, but wouldn't lose sleep if the league made them mandatory. I think the league doesn't want to make visors mandatory, because seeing the players faces in full view is a good way to market the players.

You probably enjoy speeding while drunk regardless of wearing a seatbelt or not, i mean, you are a grown ass man after all. People, whether in sports or in the community, don't always know what's best for them. Sure they are grown ass men, but not every grown ass man understands risks. It's not always a bad thing to have rules and regulations.

A. Half shield isnt gunna save ur life most likely B.speeding and drunk driving put other people in danger, not waering a visor does not C.too many rules and regulations if you ask me.

I think he wore one as a rookie. Hey, as long as he's winning Norris Trophies, i can't really complain

I remember hearing something about the Hawks coaching staff wanting nobody wearing a visor in the early '90s, too. I think it should be left up to the players, but that's just me.

Personally, I'd like to do what i did above with the other 29 NHL teams, but it would take a while and a lot of space for posts, not to mention some posters on here probably don't care much about the % of hockey players that wear a visor vs. the % that don't. I know the NHL did a study on it last year, but i'd like to do it again, taking into account the rookies. Once a player dresses for one regular season game, they're included in the count.

I think they should wear them. With sticks and pucks flying around everywhere, even if you're careful, stuff is going to happen. All it takes is one fluke; look at the Leafs-Flyers game that was just on, where a strangely high number of guys got hit in the face with a stick. Does that usually happen at games? No. But if you're Chris Pronger, all it takes is to be on the right team, standing in the right place at the right time. Do you REALLY want to risk losing an eye because you don't want to get used to seeing through a visor? Come on.

I don't know if the NHL should make them mandatory or not, but I definitely think everybody should just grow a brain and wear one anyway.

I think they should wear them. With sticks and pucks flying around everywhere, even if you're careful, stuff is going to happen. All it takes is one fluke; look at the Leafs-Flyers game that was just on, where a strangely high number of guys got hit in the face with a stick. Does that usually happen at games? No. But if you're Chris Pronger, all it takes is to be on the right team, standing in the right place at the right time. Do you REALLY want to risk losing an eye because you don't want to get used to seeing through a visor? Come on.

I don't know if the NHL should make them mandatory or not, but I definitely think everybody should just grow a brain and wear one anyway.

that stick still would have hit him as it would have gone up and under it. i stopped getting facial cuts when i stopped wearing one. thats the main reason i hate them so much, they can cut u, and direct sticks that would have just gone right in front of your face, into you face, it the stick is going is an upward direction. Different guys like different things, i guess.

that stick still would have hit him as it would have gone up and under it. i stopped getting facial cuts when i stopped wearing one. thats the main reason i hate them so much, they can cut u, and direct sticks that would have just gone right in front of your face, into you face, it the stick is going is an upward direction. Different guys like different things, i guess.

There is absolutely no way of knowing whether a guy would still have gotten hit in the eye even if he was wearing a visor.

There is absolutely no way of knowing whether a guy would still have gotten hit in the eye even if he was wearing a visor.

Most the time if you get hit good enough with a stick in your visor it will scratch it. Ive seen sticks slid off visors and hit the person in the mouth but you can replace teeth you cant replace a eye.

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Doesn't sound surprising to me that the older guys are being cautious and the younger guys think they'll be ok.

I'm still ok with the players having the choice to wear a visor, but wouldn't lose sleep if the league made them mandatory. I think the league doesn't want to make visors mandatory, because seeing the players faces in full view is a good way to market the players.

I don't buy this at all. You can't see the face of any NFL player and they don't seem to have a hard time marketing their players. The same argument was used against helmets, that women liked to see the men's hair move as they skated and the like. I think, much like helmets, they should grandfather current players in and force new players to wear either a visor or a college-style face mask

I don't mean this rhetorically: has anyone ever seen a puck hit a visor? I've watched a good amount of hockey over the years, but I can't ever remember being like, 'good thing he's wearing a visor'.

Are those visors designed to remain intact after being subjected to a 100 mph slapshot?

I can't recall ever having witnessed that scenario, and I'd also love to hear about their construction. However, that's only one possible cause of facial damage. Sticks to the face are a far more likely and common occurrence than slapshots, and 99% of them you'd be hard pressed to notice when a visor stops the stick from inflicting potentially permanent damage.

EDIT: I'm likely in the minority here, but I'm not in favor of mandating visors for pros. They are, indeed, grown ass men, and can make their own decisions. That said, I'm strongly in favor of them wearing them and think anyone who doesn't is likely overestimating the size of their own testicles. You only get two eyes. It's ok to be frugal with them.

I don't mean this rhetorically: has anyone ever seen a puck hit a visor? I've watched a good amount of hockey over the years, but I can't ever remember being like, 'good thing he's wearing a visor'.

Are those visors designed to remain intact after being subjected to a 100 mph slapshot?

Excellent comment, I've thought the same thing before. Even if the visor withstood a 100 mph shot, I'm sure the helmet could move forward/down and the visor's bottom edge could still cut right through the player's upper lip if the chin strap was a little loose. And who knows, if there was a hairline crack in the visor a player didn't know about, the thing could break.

Either a full or half cage on a helmet would be safer than a visor.

I don't buy this at all. You can't see the face of any NFL player and they don't seem to have a hard time marketing their players. The same argument was used against helmets, that women liked to see the men's hair move as they skated and the like. I think, much like helmets, they should grandfather current players in and force new players to wear either a visor or a college-style face mask

Actually other than Crosby, the NHL doesn't know how to market their players, with or without a visor.

I'm not against a full cage. Why just protect the players eyes, when you can protect their entire face?

Excellent comment, I've thought the same thing before. Even if the visor withstood a 100 mph shot, I'm sure the helmet could move forward/down and the visor's bottom edge could still cut right through the player's upper lip if the chin strap was a little loose. And who knows, if there was a hairline crack in the visor a player didn't know about, the thing could break.

Either a full or half cage on a helmet would be safer than a visor.

Actually other than Crosby, the NHL doesn't know how to market their players, with or without a visor.

I'm not against a full cage. Why just protect the players eyes, when you can protect their entire face?

the NCAA is probably doing away with cages in the near future. going towards mandated half shield.